Dire state of poverty in Wales

Local TV

People across Wales are struggling to make ends meet. This issue has been growing over the last few years, with more and more people unable to afford day to day necessities. Senedd members are discussing what is being done through partnerships, but some opposition members think the Welsh government need to be doing much more.

Transcript

00:00 "The support both the UK and Welsh Government are providing isn't effective at keeping people

00:07 from falling into and being trapped in poverty."

00:10 Jane Hutt says despite limited financial flexibility, they are keeping specific funds in place to

00:15 help the poorest and most in need across Wales, particularly helping with food and fuel poverty

00:20 where possible.

00:21 "It was very important that we did protect in the budget our discretionary assistance

00:25 fund which is worth £38.5 million a year because that is money that's emergency money

00:32 in many respects for people in terms of the emergency payments but also those important

00:39 goods that people need to access, particularly those who are in particular pressure.

00:44 Now I'm also very clear that we have to do everything we can to tackle fuel poverty and

00:51 food poverty as well."

00:53 Sean Ed Williams of Plaid Cymru says it's all well and good having help in place but

00:57 not nearly enough is being done and offers some stark statistics of the state of poverty

01:01 across Wales, particularly for children all over the country.

01:05 "23% saying they're recently worried about being cold, 21% saying their mental health

01:11 has been negatively affected, 10% say their physical health is being affected by their

01:17 family's financial position.

01:18 More than one in five parents and guardians of children under 18 reported their child

01:24 had been unable to get the birthday party they wanted due to their family's financial

01:29 position.

01:30 It's just heartbreaking isn't it?

01:31 And in the recent report the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have highlighted

01:36 that in Wales paediatric waiting lists have soared by a staggering 62% since 2016 and

01:43 poverty of course massively impacts child health."

01:47 The Welsh Government say they are making sure they can help people in need while dealing

01:50 with a strict budget.

01:51 The Minister for Social Justice says that partnerships are an incredibly important part

01:55 of helping those in need and wants to make sure there are avenues in place to help those

01:59 suffering with poverty.

02:00 "As a result of the budget we're going to be able to protect our food partnerships,

02:06 the coordinators that are working across Wales to provide services to individuals and households

02:12 and also our partnership with the fuel bank foundation getting vouchers for people's

02:22 prepayment meters but also the heat fund for people off grid and you will note yesterday

02:28 Monday I was able to issue a statement about funding that's gone to local authorities

02:33 to help particularly Gypsy, Roma Traveller people in sites, in permanent sites but also

02:42 for the heat fund for those who are off grid in those sites to access funding."

02:47 People across the country are feeling the force of the cost of living crisis and the

02:51 Welsh Government say they are doing what they can with limited funding but opposition say

02:54 there is still far more that can be done to help those in poverty and even more to help

02:59 them out of poverty.

03:00 James B. Watkins reporting from Wales.

03:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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